Traditionally, hockey pants have been made of a strong nylon construction and completely cover the midportion or torso of a hockey player. Such pants are usually generally formed as an oversized pair of shorts and are constructed as a single piece of equipment. This single piece of equipment, however, included several protective elements and padding.
Recently, manufacturers have taken new approaches for hockey pants. More specifically, upon recognizing the expense of such pants, and recognizing that players often play for more than one team which may have different team colors, two-piece hockey pants have been developed in which an inner pant is mated with a removable outer shell. Thus, a player can purchase multiple outer shells in different colors to use with a single inner pant. Additionally, as most of the wear and tear of hockey pants is focused on the outer shell, replacement of only the outer shell instead of the entire pant further reduces expense.
Traditionally, hockey players also wear a separate short having a waistband which is elastically supported at the player's waist. The short has a pocket adjacent its crotch portion for receiving a genital protector. The pocket is positioned to overlay the genital area when the waistband is maintained at the player's waist thereby ensuring proper protection. Each leg portion of the short has front and back tabs with VELCRO loops or VELCRO hooks for supporting the socks.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved a hockey pant that offers more versatility, while offering proper protection and minimizing any restriction of player movement.